Keyhole-pbotector



Enron.

EDWARD KERSI-IAW, OF BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

KEYI-IOLE-PROTECTOR.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 6,46*?, dated May 22, 1849.

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, EDWARD KERsHAw, of Boston, in the county of Sufolk and State of Massachusetts', have invented a new and useful contrivance to be applied to the lock of the door of a bank-vault or safe for the purpose of protecting' the same from being either forced by pick-locks or injured by the explosion of gun-powder or any other explosive material, my invention being termed by nie the key-hole protector and Ido hereby declare that the same is fully described and represented in the following speciicat-ion and accompanying drawings, letters, figures and references thereof.

Of said drawings, Figure l, represents a front or external elevation of the said protector. Fig. 2, is a similar view exhibiting the front plate of the case at broken away sutticiently to show the series of tumblers applied to the slide or gate. Fig. 8, is a rear view of the case, and slide or gate, the back plate thereof represented by Fig. 4, being removed. Fig. 5, is a transverse section taken through one of the vertical parts of the .passage for the insertion of the key which operates the tumblers, a perspective side view of said key being shown in Fig. 5.

The contrivance termed by me the key hole protector, is to be fastened to a safe door so as to cover the main key hole of the lock of the same. When the slide of such contrivance is thrown forward it is made to pass over the said key hole, and to so entirely cut off any communication therewith as to eiectually secure it from any attmept to insert into it a tool for picking it or gun powder for blowing up the lock. Besides this the protector is so made that when its slide is thrown forward so as to close the key hole or passage it, (the protector), presents no means whereby gunpowder or any explosive material can be introduced into it.

The irst part of my invention consists of a close box or case A, which is provided with apmain key hole passage or hole B, made through and placed directly in front, and in line of the key hole of the lock of the door. The said case also has a slot C, cut horizontally through its front plate a, and made to communicate at its two ends respectively, with two vertical slots D, E, opening from it and cut through the upper side b, of the case. The upper edge of the slot C, is placed even with the lower edge of the side The case A, is also provided with sliding tumblers,

two recesses or spaces cl, e, arranged .as seen in Fig. 3.

The second part of the invention is the closing slide or gate E, which consists of a block of metal of a width to correspond with that of the interior of the case A, but of a length, (when made to slide) somewhat less than that of the inner part of said case. This slide or gate is intended to be slid over, and made to cut off or close the key-passage B, in such manner as not only to prevent the introduction of a key or any other instrument through said passage B, and into the lock, but that of any instrument or any explosive material into the interior of the case A. The said slide is provided with a recess G, in which is placed a series of slide plates or tumblers H. Fig. 7, is a top view of the slide F, and shows at e', f, g, It, the each of which extends out of theupper part of the slide F, and has an arm or projection z', extending from it and bent upward, and made to extend to the upper edge of the slide as seen in Figs.

l2, and 7. Each slide plate or tumbler is forced upward by a spring lever I, or a spring properly applied to it.

The several tumblers are depressed by pressure of the key or the upper ends of the arms z', z'. To accomplish this the key (represented in Fig. 6) is introduced into that one of the vertical slots D, E, which may happen to be in line with the vertical parts of the several arms z', z'. When thus introduced the said key is pressed down until the shank le, entirely enters the horizontal part C, of the opening and closing passage D C E. The tumblers should be so constructed that when' this takes place they will all have been pressed down to a level with the upper edge of the slide F, and so as to permit the slide to be moved horizontally either over the key passage B, or from'over it according as we may desire to close or open said passage. If we enter` it through the part D, we remove it through the part E, or vice versa. Vhen the sli-de and tumblers are thus operated the upper parts of the tumblers are moved out of one of the recesses (Z, c, and int-o the other, the said recesses serving to preserve the position of the slide after it is thrown or moved forward or backward.

I do not intend to confine my invention to the precise form of any part or parts as above described, as the box or case of it and the slide thereof may be made circular, and

the latter so that it can be partially rotated within the same.

The manner inwhich the key passage D C E, is made and connected withthe slide F, prevents any explosive material being iny tia'lly as above specified, the said slide 0r bolt tumblers and key passage being inclosed troduced through it and into the case A.

I lay no claim to a box made so, as to permit the slide to move out of it as a bolt does out of a common` lock, but what I do claimA 1s A series of slide plates 0r tumblers or their equivalents7 and a key passage, D C E, for operating the same (by means of a key) so applied to the slide F, and inclosing cases A, as to enable a person to insert the key, and throw or move the slide or gate forwards or backward without, either while the side or gate is being thrown forward or 'isbeing retracted, there being any such communication with the interior of the case, as will allow of the admission of gun powder, or any explosive solid material therein, substanor included in a close box A, and the whole forming together a key hole protector as explained.

In testimony whereof I have hereto set my signature this twenty third day of February EDWARD KERSHAW'. Vitnesses:

R. I-I. EDDY,

SAML. HUsE. 

